Keeping with our theme of the dark side of spring, today we'll look at issues of health and wellness.

Winter is often the dark valley for our diets and health efforts. We enter the winter with hoiday eating and then turn to heavy winter foods like rich stews and heavy cassseroles. Snow days mean hot chocolate (or hot toddies) and time for baking. The cold and early darkness make it harder to maintain a workout routine. Heavy winter clothes hide a multitude of figure flaws.

But swimsuit season is just around the corner. So, spring is a time to renew and intensify your efforts to eat well and exercise more.

I've always found it very interesting that Lent takes place in spring. The religious motivation may make it easier to give up unhealthy foods and to step away from time-consuming habits that keep you from exercising and getting a healthy anount of sleep. The six weeks of Lent allow time to develop new, healthy habits. Lent starts on March 5th and ends in mid-April. How will you use this time?